noto peninsula and gifu 10 days 2017 tour map - cycling japan · today we stay on the coast...

Noto peninsula and Gifu 10 days 2017

Tour map

Itinerary

Noto Peninsula, situated in the middle of mainland Honshu, is our newest cycle touring

destination in Japan. The region offers a perfect opportunity for rural cycling and experiencing

all the cultural attractions you expect of Japan, from heritage sites to kimono weaving! Almost

the entire peninsula has been recently registered as agricultural heritage by UNESCO for the

long-established methods of fishing and cultivation activities, which you can observe from the

saddle of your bike. The landscapes formed by the rich history tracing back to the feudal times

still remain today, and that’s what makes the region a culturally interesting ground for overseas

visitors. The 6 day itinerary allows ample time to fit in non cycling activities, and if you want

more physical challenge the 5 day extension option is available for you.

ITINERARY (6 days/5 nights) (10 days/9 nights)

Day 1 Meeting at Kanazawa Hotel TS D

Day 2 Cycle 84km Kanazawa to Togi Ryokan CO B,D

Day 3 Cycle 61-78km Togi to Wajima Hotel TSO B

Day 4 Cycle 67-90km Wajima to Suzu Ryokan CO B,D

Day 5 Cycle 99-130km Suzu to Wakura Onsen Ryokan TO B,D

Day 6 Departure B

Extension trip

Day 6 Train and Bus to Shirakawago village(4hours) Guest House C B,D

Day 7 Cycle 60km Shirakawa to Takayama Hotel TS B

Day 8 Cycle 73km Takayama to Gujohachiman Hotel TSO B

Day 9 Cycle 65km Gujohachiman to Gifu Ryokan TSO B,D

Day 10 Departure B

T room with toilet only TS room with toilet & shower C communal facility O onsen spa

B breakfast D dinner

Price per person for Noto 6 days

#of people Service price Includes

2 clients 1van, 1guide JPY 259,500 See below

3 + clients 1van, 1guide JPY 201,300 See below

Single room supplement JPY 14,600

Price per person for Noto Gifu 10 days

#of people Service price Includes

2 clients 1van, 1guide JPY 433,500 See below

3 + clients 1van, 1guide JPY 340,600 See below

Single room supplement JPY 31,900

Includes

5 nights’ accommodation on twin share basis (for Noto 6 days)

9 nights’ accommodation on twin share basis (for Noto Gifu 10 days)

5 breakfasts and 4 evening meals (for Noto 6 days)

9 breakfasts and 6 evening meals (for Noto Gifu 10 days)

Rental bike (Cross bike or Road bike)

Other equipments come with bike

Spare tube, tyre levers, multi tool, pump, and flat patches are in the bag.

All the bikes are equipped with front and rear lights, and cycle computers.

All transport detailed in the below itinerary

Snacks and refreshments

English speaking guide(s)

Spare parts and mechanic services

Support vehicle with seats and bike rack

Does not include

Lunches (It cost 1000-1500yen for each lunch)

Single room supplement

Front bag for hybrid bike

(8 litter volume)

Seat post bag for road bike

(6 litter volume)

Helmet on request

Gloves on request

Recommended season

April to November

Average temp. in a month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Highest in Kanazawa (℃) 7 7 11 17 22 26 30 30 27 22 15 9

Lowest in Kanazawa (℃) 1 1 3 8 14 20 23 24 19 14 7 3

Rain fall in Kanazawa(mm) 270 171 160 136 155 151 231 139 225 177 264 282

What we offer as our services

We have support vehicle to follow cyclists to back up water, snacks, and other necessary

things for the ride. If one of you wants to stop riding at some point of the day, he or she

will be welcome to have seat in our support vehicle.

Our guides are all cyclists, we know what you need during your ride. We are trained to be

a bike mechanic and cycling leader. We also completed 40 hours wilderness first aid

training.

In case of heavy rain, strong wind or other fierce weather conditions for cycling, we may

change plan and give you other activities option like hiking, sightseeing, and so on.

Guides speaks English, and all the information during the tour will be given in English.

Detailed itinerary

Day 1 Meeting at Kanazawa

We meet at 5:00pm at our hotel in Kanazawa, the gateway to Noto Peninsula. After an

introductory meeting and bike fitting, we take a stroll through the city and enjoy a welcome

dinner in town. Kanazawa is home to traditional high cultures and activities, such as handicrafts,

tea ceremony, Noh theatre and Kaga cooking, offering you plenty of options for cultural

experiences. We recommend you to arrive a day or so earlier to explore Kanazawa. One of the

most beautiful Japanese garden, Kenrokuen Garden is not to be missed if you are there.

Kanazawa can be reached in approximately 3.5 hours by express train from Osaka Kansai

International Airport, 3 hours by bullet train from Tokyo.

Accommodation - Hotel (3 stars quality)

Private bath / Onsen Spa / Wifi / Laundry / meal (D)

Day 2 Kanazawa to Togi

This morning we cycle out to join the cycling path near the coast, which leads us onto the

popular Chirihama Beach driveway. Here you can cycle comfortably on the hard packed sand

beach for about 8km. After having lunch at restaurant by the beach, we continue on the coastal

cycling path to Togi. Scenery is ever changing from rice field to rugged coast line, we cycle

through some small fishing villages too. Sunset view at Hatagoiwa rocks will be a real treat at

the end of the day.

Cycling distance: 84km Total ascent: 367m

Accommodation - Ryokan (3 stars quality)

Shared bath / Onsen Spa / wifi / meal (B,D)

Day 3 Togi to Wajima

In the morning, be sure to check out the world’s longest bench on the beach in Togi. Today we

follow the beautiful coastlines on quiet back roads, lined by traditional wooden houses with

black tiled roofs – as if we are cycling through a movie set! Terraced rice fields are another

noticeable feature of this region, and today we pass by a couple of them. The Kadomi heritage

house is also worth a stop. Here you can view the interior of wooden houses you have cycled

pass so far. Although the coastal journey to Wajima is challenging, the oceanic views from the

roads are rewardingly fantastic!

Cycling distance: 61-78km Total ascent: 700-1273m

Accommodation - Hotel (3 stars quality)

Private bath / Onsen Spa / Wifi / Laundry / meal (B)

Day 4 Wajima to Suzu

This morning you have an option to visit the Wajima Morning Market or work your decorative

skills on the lacquer chopsticks. For 1,500 yen, you can design your own chopsticks with gold

powder and take them home as souvenirs! The market is filled with stalls selling local produce

from the land as well as the sea, and is a good shopping opportunity if you wish to purchase any

lacquer ware here. Today we stay on the coast throughout the day, checking out Senmaida

(1,000 rice paddies on one slope) and many traditional salt works. A few salt works are spread

out along the coastline, and are still carrying out the solar evaporation method from 400 years

ago. The salt works are free to observe, and you can also try spraying seawater which takes

years to master! As we approach the tip of the peninsula, the rest of the day leaves us cycling

in the peaceful country setting.



Shared bath / Onsen Spa / wifi / Laundry / meal (B,D)

Day 5 Suzu to Wakura Onsen

Leaving Suzu, we continue cycling along the coastline around Toyama Bay. There are more

fishing villages along the road, which gently climbs and descends the coastline of Noto

Peninsula. We arrive at Noto-jima Island after crossing the Twin Bridge, from which you can

enjoy the views of the bay and floating islands off the coast. We will complete the ride at our

accommodation in Wakura Onsen, one of the best high-class hot spring resorts in Japan. If you

would like more cycling today, there is an option to ride around the Noto-jima Island, which will

make the day’s total distance 130km.



Private bath / Onsen Spa / wifi / meal (B,D)

Day 6 Finish after breakfast in Wakura Onsen

The tour finishes after breakfast in Wakura Onsen. You can train back to Kanazawa (1hr), Kyoto

(3.5hr), or all the way back to Osaka Kansai (5.5hr).

Day 6 Extension to Shirakawago Village

This extension option is for people who want more strenuous rides with lesser sightseeing stops.

As we head inland by van away from Noto Peninsula, we will experience a change of scenery

from the ocean to mountain landscapes. Shirakawago Village is a secluded mountain village, like

you read about in old Japanese tales! The village is situated at the foot of Mt. Haku-san in the

northwestern part of Gifu. Surrounded by mountains, there are about 110 houses with

A-shaped thatched roofs, designed to prevent heavy snow accumulation. The building style is

so called Gassho Zukuri, originally started in the Edo period to allow silk cultivation in the attics.

UNESCO registered the whole of Shirakawa-go as a World Heritage Site in 1995. Tonight, we are

staying at one of the Gassho Zukuri houses, run by a local farmer.

Accommodation – Guest House / Shared bath / meal (B,D)

Day 7 Shirakawago to Takayama

Today we travel inland further to Hida Takayama, the foothills of the Japan Alps! After cycling

out of the village, we start climbing on quiet mountain road where you will see local farmers

working on rice felids. The road climbs through broadleaf forests freshened by occasional

waterfalls. After a pleasant downhill, we will meet the Miya River where you will likely see local

fishermen at work. The river flows through all the way to our destination Hida Takayama, often

described as the little Kyoto because of the similarity of construction and atmosphere. We try

some Hida beef here, the local specialty known as one of the best beef in Japan!


Accommodation - Hotel (3 stars quality) / Private bath / Wifi / Laundry / meal (B)

Day 8 Takayama to Gujohachiman

Today we cycle the Hida Seseragi Highway, following the swift mountain streams. Riding past a

few little villages, local shrines and more paddy fields, we arrive at Gujo-hachiman, a castle

town with prospered in the 16th century. We take a leisurely walk on the atmospheric streets

lined with old houses and waterways, to Gujo-hachiman Castle. Tonight, we sample the local

specialty, Unagi eels, fished from local rivers.


Accommodation - Hotel (3 stars quality) / Private bath / Onsen Spa / Wifi / meal (B)

Day 9 Gujohachiman to Gifu

Collecting water from melting snow and rain in the central mountain ranges, Nagara River is

famed for the clear water and quiet beauty. Today we ride along the riverside to Mino City, home

for Mino Washi, the best quality Japanese papers. Our final destination, Gifu awaits us with a

celebratory dinner cruise on the Nagara River, where you can observe Ukai, the traditional

cormorant fishing from the boat. (Comorant fishing is seasonal from May 11th to Oct 15th. We

will have traditional Japanese dinner at our accommodation instead for the other time.)



Private bath / Onsen Spa / wifi / meal (B,D)

Day 10 Departure

The tour finishes after breakfast today, with a transfer to the Gifu train station.

From Gifu to Osaka Kansai Airport 2.5 hours by train

From Gifu to Nagoya Chubu Airport 70 min by train

About accommodation

We choose Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) as much as possible to support local tourism and

economy. Ryokan is traditional Japanese style inns often run by family and in many cases it has

Onsen (natural hot springs) on site. You will sleep on a futon on the tatami floor in ryokan. It’s

definitely the best choice if you want to experience authentic Japanese accommodation.

However, there are a few things to remember before staying there.

Room in Ryokan Yukata Onsen hot spring Washing space

Traditional Japanese room does not have bed, instead, it has Futon mat on "Tatami"

straw weaving floor to sleep on. The photo is how typical Ryokan room looks like.

Most of the accommodation provide "Yukata" traditional night robe, you can wear it to

hot spring and restaurants on site. You don't have to carry your night clothing as much

if you enjoy Yukata.

Most of Ryokan provide nice public Onsen hot spring to share, then some of the rooms

do not have their own shower and bath. Public onsen has washing place where you can

wash yourself.

Some of Ryokans in remote area do not have toilet in each room. They have public toilet

on site.

What to bring

□Passport You need to show passport when you check in accommodations.

□Travel insurance detail Medical cost is expensive in Japan. You are strongly recommended

to have comprehensive travel insurance.

□Cash in Yen Credit card does not work in small restaurants and shops in Japan. Lunch costs

1000-1500yen, dinner 2000-3000yen. ATM in post office can work for international card.

□Helmet It is compulsory to wear helmet on our tour. Rental on request.

□Gloves Protect your hands.

□Cycling clothing Bring appropriate clothing for cycling.

□Rain jacket It rains in Japan.

□Warmers It can be cold in the mountains.

□Casual clothing to go out to restaurants at night.

Equipment required

Your bike will come with a front pannier bag for your camera, wallet, jumper etc. Although we

have comfortable bike seat and helmet, we recommend you bring your own gear that you are

used to at home.

noto peninsula and gifu 10 days 2017 tour map - cycling japan · today we stay on the coast...

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